📖 Meaning
This idiom describes people of similar base character flocking toward something bad, just as ants swarm to the smell of mutton. It is often used to criticize those who eagerly attach themselves to the rich and powerful for personal gain.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom comes from the chapter 'Xu Wugui' in Zhuangzi, written by the Warring States philosopher Zhuang Zhou. In the text, Zhuangzi observes that ants are drawn to mutton because of its strong odor. The image was later expanded into a metaphor for base people who, like ants sensing a treat, swarm after wealth, power, or other corrupting attractions. Over time it became a standard saying for sycophantic behavior.
💡 Example Usage
那些投机者如蚁附膻，纷纷巴结新上任的权贵。
Those speculators flocked like ants to mutton, scrambling to curry favor with the newly appointed powerful official.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 如蚁附膻
- Pinyin: rú yǐ fù shān
- Literal Translation: like ants, cling to, mutton smell
- Category: Attitude
- Characters: 4